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by A Lovestruck A2
Summary: Harry didn't understand it. His friends had turned their backs on him when they discovered he could talk to snakes. So why was some Ravenclaw first year talking to him?


_**A/N: Hello all and welcome to my very first Harry Potter story. I've read the books countless times as well as read plenty of fanfiction for it, but I never wrote for it until now. That's changing XD**_

_**When does this one take place? During the Chamber of Secrets, when it's discovered that Harry is a Parselmouth. I personally hated how we had to wait until freaking Book Five before best girl was introduced, so here's something I came up with. **_

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_Summary: Harry didn't understand it. His friends had turned their backs on him when they discovered he could talk to snakes. So why was some Ravenclaw first year talking to him?_

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Harry James Potter was always the talk of Hogwarts, whether he wanted it or not. He had hoped that by going to a school full of witches and wizards that he would be able to feel somewhat normal, rather than being paraded around as some mighty hero or a chosen one.

But he was so wrong. Even in the wizarding world, he was a name everyone knew. And after a sparring class hosted by the ridiculous Professor Lockheart, he was someone almost the entire castle despised on sight. All for something he didn't know he had. The ability to speak to snakes.

A snake had been summoned in the class and when it went after a boy, he yelled at it to leave the student alone and it backed down. However, no one heard him speak in his voice. He had spoken in Parseltongue, an art only dark wizards knew.

He was walking along one of the corridors, on his way back to the dorms after another brutal Potions class, when he heard the first insult of the day. "Oh look, it's the one who set that snake on that boy."

"Oh, him. Probably the sicko who petrified Filch's cat."

"And opened the Chamber of Secrets. I don't know why Professor Dumbledore hasn't expelled him and had him thrown in Azkaban."

Harry let out a sigh of despair and kept his head low, not sure why he even bothered. He had of course denied those claims. He didn't even know he was a Parselmouth until that day; he just assumed that his ability to communicate with snakes was something every wizard could do.

'_At least Fred and George find it amusing,' _he thought dryly. The prankster twins both thought the idea of Harry being some evil psychopath was very hilarious and would often walk along in front of him yelling to make way for the Heir of Slytherin and that he was late for a cup of tea with his fanged servant. If Harry wasn't so miserable at the way people he thought were his friends were currently treating him, he'd have laughed and joined them in it.

Hermione wasn't sure what to think of it all. She had of course told a few of their fellow Gryffindors to back off when they cornered him in their dormitory two nights ago, but was still somewhat skittish around him. It was as if she expected the Harry she knew and trusted to jinx her.

And Ron was…well, Ron. By that of course, he was jealous of the attention that once again flowed his friend's way. Harry didn't understand how anyone could be jealous of being the school's most hated student, but Ron somehow managed it and was being a git about it.

Harry had of course tried to say that he didn't want any of this, but Ron refused to buy it. He wouldn't be surprised if next week his friend joined in on the 'Harry's the Heir of Slytherin' train.

"Oi, you! I want to have a chat with you!" someone yelled. Harry turned around and saw it was Ernie, someone he knew from Herbology and often worked with.

"What?" he asked exasperatedly. He really wished Fred and George were around right now to ward the boy off with a clove of garlic or something. _'Those two are being more loyal than Ron and Hermione at the moment.' _

The Hufflepuff stormed up to him with his face beet red. "You set a snake on one of my mates, did you?"

"No, I yelled at it to leave him alone." Harry shook his head. How many times had he repeated those exact words? It felt like at least two dozen, maybe more. Why couldn't anyone believe him?

"Really? That's not what I heard." Ernie's fist was tight around his wand, ready to jinx him in a heartbeat. "I heard you were egging it on and that Lockheart had to be the one to stop it."

If Harry wasn't about to be hexed, he'd have laughed at that claim. "Lockheart just sat there and twiddled his thumbs." It was in fact Snape (as much as Harry hated to admit it) who had banished the snake away, not their supposed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"So you don't deny egging it on then?" Ernie snapped.

Harry rolled his eyes. What point was there in trying to explain what happened when everyone assumed he was evil? He'd have better luck talking to the Whomping Willow. With no professors around to break up the skirmish, the black haired boy pulled out his own wand. There was no rule against self defense.

That act alone seemed to make the Hufflepuff falter and he backed off, not wanting to be on the receiving end of a hex from the supposed Heir of Slytherin. Ernie stashed his wand back into his robes and glared at the young boy. "Don't think this is over. One day, you won't be expecting it."

Ernie stormed off, leaving Harry alone, and he let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't understand it. So what if he could speak to snakes? He was put in Gryffindor!

'_But the Sorting Hat thought about putting me in Slytherin.' _He wanted this to just end already and slumped against the wall until he hit the ground.

"It's not your fault, you know," a girl whispered quietly. Harry looked up to see a young blonde girl, perhaps even younger than him. A Ravenclaw patch was worn on her robes and she was eyeing him quizzically. "You're quite sane, actually."

Harry eyed her suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"Luna. Luna Lovegood," she replied. She took a seat next to him, giving him a knowing smile. "I know what it's like, having everyone against you. Perhaps more than anyone else you've met."

"How so?"

"I see things. Things that no one else can. I can see the creatures that pull the carriages, just like you can."

Harry was surprised. He didn't think anyone else could see them and assumed he was just going mad. He brushed it off when Hermione and Ron said that there wasn't anything pulling them and that it was just magic. It wasn't the first time he had seen something and no one else believed him.

"So, now do you believe me?" Luna asked.

"How can you see them?" Harry didn't understand why she could and no one else he met was able to.

"They're called thestrals. Only those who have witnessed death can see them," Luna explained.

"I thought I was just going mad. Nice to know I'm not crazy."

Luna laughed at that. "Just so you know, I don't think you're the Heir of Slytherin. Don't see your ability to talk to snakes as a curse. Everyone has their gifts. That's what yours is. It's a gift."

Harry wanted to laugh at that. For a supposed 'gift' it came with a lot of backlash. But he took one look at the sincerity on Luna's face and decided to believe her. Maybe that's all he needed. One person to not treat him differently because of it.

He smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Luna smiled back and swatted at the air as if a gnat was bothering her. "Sorry. There's a bunch of Nargles around."

"What?"

"Nargles. They make an unpleasant buzzing sound in your ear."

Hmm. Maybe he was normal after all. At least someone believed he was.

_**A/N: And so endeth my first Harry Potter story. Thank you all for reading and have a good night! **_

_**-A Lovestruck A2**_


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